Routledge Handbook of Defense Economics brings together cutting-edge research on militarization from economics and allied social sciences to examine one of the most pressing challenges of the twenty-first century. With contributions from leading scholars of defense and peace economics, it examines the drivers and consequences of military expenditure across a wide range of socioeconomic domains, including economic growth, inequality, profit rates, social spending, sustainable development, and gender.

Recognizing that military budgets are shaped by intertwined economic and strategic forces, this book adopts an interdisciplinary perspective that connects defense economics with political, social, and institutional dynamics. At a time marked by economic instability, democratic backsliding, persistent poverty, and intensifying geopolitical tensions, this book places military spending within broader transformations of globalization and political economy. Drawing on new data and advanced analytical methods, this book offers fresh insights into how militarization reshapes development paths and social outcomes worldwide.